Appealing and Overturning Unemployment Benefit Decisions

Dr. Jackie Edwards Scientific Community Shocked by Threats to Funding and Jobs : The science world has been shaken with th...

Dr.
Jackie Edwards

Scientific Community Shocked by Threats to Funding and Jobs:
The science world has been shaken with the news that President Trump may be pulling the plug on a number of science projects across 19 states in the U.S. The President’s Energy Department (DOE) has stopped its process of awarding $70 million in new grants, which had been originally announced by its Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) last year. The money had been initially allocated to fund new high-risk and high-reward energy projects. The DOE has also stopped scientists being able to find out if their specific funding will be delayed, or if it will still arrive, so people have no way of knowing yet whether work can continue.

No warning of funding red light:
This revelation came without any prior warning and has left scientists and many PhD’s just starting new jobs, to suddenly find themselves out of work. Cutting funding that has already been awarded means that people are hesitant about hiring new science staff in case the grant is taken back. For young scientists about to embark on what they’d hoped would be a promising career, it has understandably come as a huge devastating blow. The science community has urged the President to save these crucial jobs and allow the DOE’s ARPA-E program to continue to roll out the funding as planned.

Bridging the financial gap for those suddenly out of work:
While scientists wait to see what will become of their funding projects, and whether they have in fact still got a job, they may find they have no choice but to turn to the state for financial help. People can claim for unemployment insurance as a temporary measure until they find new employment. But it isn’t guaranteed. There are some strict requirements that determine if a person qualifies and even if they’ve had their original claim approved, it can still be denied further down the line. It is possible to appeal the unemployment benefits decision, which could see it overturned and the person entitled to receive their money. While it’s hoped that it won’t come to this, at least for some people affected by the funding block, they can have some peace of mind about their financial security in the short term.

Could the news get worse for science research? For the science and research community, there are real fears that this threat of funding cuts is only the start of more drastic action. Teams are having to push back start dates of new projects in the hope that they will receive funding, if not somewhat later than expected. Researchers say that it’s the uncertainty that is causing the most stress and anxiety, not knowing what will happen in the future. Many experienced scientists are prepared to weather the storm and wait to see what happens. Yet for younger PhDs, it’s not so easy, especially when they feel their scientific career could very well be on the line.